NASA (national aeronautics and space administration) is the united states government agency responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. established in 1958 by president dwight d. eisenhower, it encourages peaceful applications in space science.

new york-based architecture and technology company AI spaceFactory presents marsha (MARS HAbitat), a 3D-printed visionary verticle housing on mars. the project marks a radical departure from previous habitat schemes typified by low-lying domes or buried structures. where structures on earth are designed primarily for gravity and wind, unique conditions on mars led to a structure optimized to handle internal atmospheric pressure and structural stresses: a vertical egg-like container with a minimal footprint. this innovation challenges the conventional image of ‘space age’ architecture by focusing on the creation of highly habitable spaces tuned to the demands of a mars mission.

the project was awarded second prize within NASA’s competition and sponsored for future development.

marsha protects humans from the harsh martian environment, including the frigid temperatures, dust storms, and radiation all renderings by plompmozes

to realize the challenges of building on mars, AI spaceFactory’s solution relies on materials harvested from the martian surface, a technology known as ISRU (in-situ resource utilization). the team is formulating an innovative mixture of basalt fiber extracted from martian rock and renewable bioplastic (polylactic acid, or PLA) derived from plants grown on mars – eliminating the dependency on rockets to transport materials from earth.

due to its small footprint, marsha can be printed using a stationary machine

marsha stands vertically on the surface of mars — it is intended to advance the state of the art in autonomous 3D printing construction methods, materials technology, and architectural design. it pushes designers to develop human-centric habitats that can be constructed in-situ in preparation for the arrival of the first settlers on mars. the result is a highly credible and evocative home with an alien yet familiar beauty.

machines would harvest the land for material, leaving patterns in the sand like a rock garden

at ground level, the ‘garage’ is the interface with external systems and exploration activities with a supporting ‘wet lab’. just above is 34 square meters of joint dry lab and kitchen acting as the main hub. on the third level are the individual cabins, sanitation pod, and hydroponic garden. and at the top, the bright ‘skyroom’ is dedicated to informal recreational uses and exercise. each level has at least one window, which together cover the full 360° panorama.

the primary power source for a martian settlement will be nuclear

as in this alien environment, construction sequence and materials must be rethought entirely, the design team formulates a material specifically for 3D printing on mars: basalt fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (bf-PLA). PLA is a strong thermoplastic that is not only mission-recyclable like other plastics but mission-renewable using bioreactors fueled by mission waste. being mechanically comparable to high-performing petrochemical thermoplastics, PLA has countless applications as an expendable material through the full mission timeline. being a bioplastic, it has the added benefit of dual modes of in-situ manufacture: via the fermentation of carbohydrates by bacteria or via chemo-catalysis. on earth, most PLA is derived from polysaccharides produced by plants. the same could be carried out on a future mars settlement, where inevitable plant and other biological waste provide an opportunity to close material/metabolic loops. PLA also has the lowest coefficients of thermal expansion among plastics – crucial to achieving composite action with chopped basalt fiber, which is added for tensile strength (pressure-bearing capacity). basalt fiber, produced from local rock, is also among the most effective insulators known.

the sun, despite it’s greater distance compared to earth, is a viable power source on the surface of mars

LOG IN

designboom's comment policy guidelines generally speaking, if we publish something, it's because we're genuinely interested in the subject. we hope you'll share this interest and if you know even more about it, please share! our goal in the discussion threads is to have good conversation and we prefer constructive opinions. we and our readers have fun with entertaining ones. designboom welcomes alerts about typos, incorrect names, and the like. the correction is at the discretion of the post editor and may not happen immediately.

what if you disagree with what we or another commenter has to say? let's hear it! but please understand that offensive, inappropriate, or just plain annoying comments may be deleted or shortened.

- please do not make racist, sexist, anti-semitic, homophobic or otherwise offensive comments. - please don't personally insult the writers or your fellow commenters. - please avoid using offensive words, replacing a few letters with asterisks is not a valid workaround. - please don't include your website or e-mail address in your comments for the purpose of self-promotion. - please respect jury verdicts and do not discuss offensively on the competition results (there is only one fist prize, and designboom usually asks renown professionals to help us to promote talent. in addition to the awarded designs, we do feel that almost all deserve our attention, that is why we publish the best 100-200 entries too.)

a link is allowed in comments as long as they add value in the form of information, images, humor, etc. (links to the front page of your personal blog or website are not okay). unwelcome links (to commercial products or services of others, offensive material etc. ) will be redacted. and, ... yes, spam gets banned. no, we do not post fake comments.

a diverse digital database that acts as a valuable guide in gaining insight and information about a product directly from the manufacturer, and serves as a rich reference point in developing a project or scheme.